VOL. 6, NO. 7
DEC. 18, 1964

'Oliver' wins rave review
Oliver Twist has never been so good as in the current production of the musical, Oliver!, now play at the Shubert Theater.

This play, based loosely on the Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, possesses all the warmth and humor of that English writer, along with an abundant supply of good music and imaginative scenery.

The entire play takes place on one basic set, mounted on a turntable, and designed by Stan Kenny. This set is transformed from an orphanage, to a funeral parlor, to a market place, to a beggars' den, to a bridge. Although it lacks color, effective lighting and costumes often make up for this loss.
 At times, the English accents make the play hard to understand, but all the parts are well-acted. Little nine-year-old Ronnie Kroll (Oliver), along with the rest of the children in the cast, steals the show from the adults.

David Jones (the Artful Dodger) has, by far, the best voice, and Robin Ramsay (Flagin) plays his part with a wonderful sense of wit. Judy Bruce (Nancy) is rather typical in her interpretation of her role, but her voice redeems her.

Songs such as "As Long As He Needs Me," "Oom-pah-pah," "Who Will Buy?" and a beautifully sad version of "Where is Love?" make this show fully worth seeing.